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Isaiah 58:1-12
Epiphany 5A
Because I prepare about a month early, I am reading these words against the backdrop of ICE raids, of terrorized people and extrajudicial killing in detention facilities and on the streets of Minneapolis. As I settled into my seat to review the text before diving into commentaries, I read these words and my body tensed,…
Psalm 112:1-9 (10)
Epiphany 5A
It’s never terribly clear to me just what it means when the Revised Common Lectionary puts a single verse in parentheses. It’s the final verse, verse 10, of Psalm 112 that gets that treatment. Maybe it’s meant to say “Include it in your sermon or don’t—it’s up to you.” They are not skipping that verse…
Psalm 15
Epiphany 4A
It’s a pretty tall order spiritually speaking. The job description for the person who can dwell in God’s sacred place stacks up pretty fast and in the end sketches an ideal and nearly perfect person. Indeed, when we read this, the thought all-but inevitably occurs to us that really, the only person who ever fit…
Micah 6:1-8
Epiphany 4A
We all know what the key verse in the text is. The real star of the show shows up in verse 8, words set to music, memorized and printed on mission trip t-shirts: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to…
Isaiah 9:1-4
Epiphany 3A
Illustration It may feel strange to be preaching Isaiah 9—a quintessentially Christmas text—a full month after the holiday has passed. Surely decorations are put away, the tree is in a woodchopper somewhere, making mulch for next spring and our lives have gone back to “normal,” whatever that means. But, rereading Isaiah 9 in late January…
Psalm 27:1, 4-9
Epiphany 3A
The Lectionary is known for chopping up psalms and other passages. Sometimes the reasons are painfully obvious: we need to brush past sentiments about wicked people and pleas for God to deal with them severely. Let’s keep the Jesus who says nice things but bracket out his calling down woes on Chorazin and such. In…
Psalm 40:1-11
Epiphany 2A
Psalm 40 is certainly one of the more curious of the psalms. The first 11 verses (which is all the Lectionary is directing us to) comprise an upbeat song of thanksgiving and praise to God. The psalmist claims to have waited patiently for God to come through for him and then God did. He lifted…
Isaiah 49:1-7
Epiphany 2A
Illustration “Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists in two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.” Knowledge of God, of course, sounds noble enough but that knowledge of ourselves? Does it strike you as a little pop-psychology? Kind-of self-help-y and postmodern? Where does that quotation…
Isaiah 42:1-9
Epiphany 1A
Illustration As a matter of visuals in the sanctuary or maybe as content for a children’s message, consider bringing in a bouquet of flowers in a vase, but bending one so that it sticks out at a strange angle. Perhaps consult with a florist in your congregation on methods they can use to support a…
Psalm 29
Epiphany 1A
Last week the Year A Lectionary had us in Psalm 147 where God’s power and presence were depicted as being inside snow storms and icy blasts. This week Psalm 29 makes the same move but shifts the weather to thunderstorms. And if you think God’s awesomeness can be seen in a wintertime blizzard, that’s nothing…
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